The Kronstadt Cathedral: Byzantine monument to Russia’s navy

Modeled after the great Hagia Sophia, the St. Nicholas Cathedral celebrates the 100th anniversary of its consecration this summer.

Photographs by William Brumfield

There are a multitude of churches in Russia dedicated to St.
Nicholas, but none is so grandiose as the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral of St.
Nicholas, originally consecrated 100 years ago. Located at the Kronstadt Naval
Base near St. Petersburg, the enormous cathedral was built with the personal
support of the last tsar, Nicholas II and consecrated in June 1913, during the
300th anniversary year of the Romanov dynasty.

The cathedral's dedication to St. Nicholas reflected not only
the role of that saint as the protector of seafarers, but also a connection to
the imperial patron, Nicholas II. Equally important, the Byzantine style of the
cathedral design proclaimed the origins of Russian Orthodoxy in Constantinople.

To this day, the St. Nicholas Cathedral is the tallest building
in Kronstadt. The naval base was established in May 1704 by Tsar Peter I (the
Great) on Kotlin Island in Gulf of Finland. Its primary purpose was to protect
the sea approach to St. Petersburg, founded at the mouth of the Neva River
exactly one year earlier.

The origins of the cathedral were prolonged and complicated. In
the 1730s, a wooden church dedicated to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God
was erected at Kronstadt. Frequently rebuilt, this church was finally replaced
by a masonry Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon, constructed during the 1870s.
Reopened in the 1990s, it is the active center of church life for the parish.

How to get there

To get to Kronstadt from St.Petersburg take the bus 101 (Staraya Derevnya subway station) or the bus K-405 (Chyornaya Rechka subway station) and get off at the final stop

The possibility of constructing a cathedral on Kronstadt had
been formally discussed since the 1830s, particularly one whose imposing size
would serve as a memorial to those who served and died in the service of the
Russian navy.

This concept was finally advanced in 1897 when Nicholas II
approved a proposal from Vice-admiral Nikolai Kaznakov, commandant of
Kronstadt, to launch a campaign for the construction of a new cathedral.

The
project was aided by its association with Father John of Kronstadt, a
charismatic yet controversial priest adored by the broad mass of Orthodox laity
and also held in high regard by the church hierarchy and by Nicholas himself.
Active support was also provided by the revered Vice-admiral Stepan Makarov.

In 1901, imperial approval was granted to cathedral designs by
Vasily Kosiakov, one of Russia's leading architects in combining traditional
church design with innovative construction techniques. He was especially
inventive in the use of reinforced concrete arches to cover large spaces. In
preparation for the project, Kosiakov traveled to Istanbul and Greece to study
Byzantine monumental architecture.

The site chosen for the cathedral was Anchor Square, a large
space formerly used for depositing used ship anchors. Construction work, begun
in 1902, was basically completed in 1907. Another five years was required for
the exterior and interior artwork.

The cathedral stopped being used actively in 1927 and was closed
in 1929. In the following decades the interior, substantially modified, was
used as a cinema, a club and concert hall, and a naval museum.

The interior
artwork was extensively damaged from neglect and reconstruction. The
painstaking work of repair and renovation, often aided with archival
photographs, proceeded gradually throughout the first decade of this century.
The final consecration of the cathedral occurred on May 28, 2013.

The design of the St. Nicholas Cathedral pays homage to one of
the world's greatest architectural monuments, Hagia Sophia, built in the sixth
century by Emperor Justinian in Constantinople with a vast unobstructed domed
space. The expanse of the exterior façades, skillfully accented with structural
details, ascends to the dome and its landmark cross.

The exterior of the cathedral was clad in yellow brick with
terra cotta details. During the restoration, a questionable decision was made
to cover the surface with a light beige paint, thus giving a monolithic
impression, but obscuring the excellent quality of the original brickwork.

The west front in some ways resembles that of western medieval
cathedrals. The central feature of the west façade is a massive portal, flanked
by two smaller portals, each with perspective arches.

Over the side portals are
mosaic panels that depict saints to which the three cathedral altars are
dedicated. On the left are Sts. Peter and Paul, while the right panel depicts
St. Nicholas and the Bulgarian St. John of Rila. Each of the upper corners supports a bell tower.

The central portals of the west, south and north façades are
decorated with mosaic images of sacred figures, including Christ, St. Nicholas
and the Kazan Image of the Virgin. All of the mosaics were created by Vladimir
Frolov at the Alexander Frolov studio, the leading producer of mosaics in Russia
at the turn of the 20th century.

Dominating the upper part of the façades are three monumental
circular windows with stained glass work visible on the interior. The west
window depicts the Deesis (a traditional icon image of Christ enthroned flanked
by Mary and John the Baptist); the north window the Crucifixion, and the south
window portrays one of the miracles of Christ, the Draught of Fishes.
Originally installed in 1913, these enormous glass panels were recreated by the
Alexei Yakovlev studio.

On the interior, the upper vaulting was covered with monumental
paintings (now restored) by Mikhail Vasilyev, some of which imitate the effect
of mosaics. Of special note are various depictions of Christ – within the apse,
over the apse and within the main dome.

The choir galleries on the upper level are supported by massive
paired columns. Like the original, the recreated icon screen is of white marble
with Inserted mosaic work. The central space of the cathedral is illuminated
with expansive suspended chandeliers from the Byzantine tradition.

In front of the cathedral is a large square that is often used
for religious processions. At the southwest corner of the square is a Monument
to Admiral Stepan Makarov, who perished when his flagship was sunk by a
Japanese mine In April 1904. The memorial purpose of the St. Nicholas cathedral
and the stunning artistic display of the interior combine to create an
unforgettable impression.